Titans Gamble, Lose Big To Colts

Indianapolis Scores Final 34 Points: Colts 51, Titans 24

INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 5 -- After a 51-24 victory Sunday over Tennessee, Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning tried to describe what it was like playing in a such a wild game.

Tennessee Coach Jeff Fisher, gambling like a poker player down to a few chips, called for three onside kicks in the first quarter alone, pumping a shot of adrenaline in an already testy AFC South rivalry. The Titans led 24-17 as the two teams combined for the second-highest scoring first quarter in NFL history.

The Colts then reeled off 34 unanswered points as the game quickly became something Manning compared to video-game football.

"That's the one thing it did remind me of a little bit, because the times when I do play, I onside kick just because I don't feel like playing defense," Manning said with a laugh. "Maybe that's what we're going to see late in the year, more aggressive things to keep our offense off the field."

In the end, Fisher's gambles didn't matter. Manning threw for 425 yards and three touchdowns, giving him 44 touchdown passes after 12 games. Manning needs four to tie the NFL single-season record of 48 set by Dan Marino in 1984. Next up for Manning is a game Sunday in Houston. Manning tied Johnny Unitas (1959) for the NFL record for most consecutive games to start a season with multiple touchdown passes (12).

"People don't understand what he puts in every week, how much work he puts in, how much he's accountable for in this offense," said Colts wide receiver Brandon Stokley, who finished with 153 yards receiving. "If they knew that, people would be more in awe of him than they already are."

Manning threw touchdown passes to Stokley, Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison and had another certain score dropped by tight end Marcus Pollard. Fans in the second deck had a sign counting Manning's pursuit of the record.

"I didn't see it," said Manning, who has tried to avoid talking about his record-breaking pace. "When you get out there in a game like that, you're just thinking about finding a way to win."

The Colts (9-3) found their way after surviving the first 15 minutes against the banged-up Titans (4-8). The teams combined for seven scoring drives in the first quarter, two going for more than 60 yards and taking less than 60 seconds and none taking longer than 2 minutes 58 seconds.

After the first quarter, Harrison and Tennessee's Drew Bennett each had more than 100 yards receiving. Of the combined 33 offensive plays in the first quarter, 15 went for 10 yards or more.

"We haven't said it, but I think the mentality is, every time we get the ball, we're going to have the opportunity to put points on the board," Harrison said.

Harrison finished with 106 yards receiving and Wayne had 96, missing a shot at 100 when the Colts sat Manning after the first series in the fourth quarter. Edgerrin James ran for 105 yards and two touchdowns.

The Colts became only the third NFL team to score 40 points in four consecutive games, joining St. Louis in 2000 and San Diego in 1960. Their 182 points in the past four games is two short of the record for points in that span, set by the Rams in 2000.

The score could have been even worse as, in addition to Pollard's dropped pass, Manning threw two interceptions, one in the end zone and another at the Titans 2.

In all, Tennessee, playing without injured cornerback Samari Rolle, attempted three onside kicks, a fake punt and went for it twice on fourth down in Colts territory with the outcome still in doubt. The successes were two onside kick recoveries that led to one field goal.

"We felt with our circumstances [and] with our injuries on defense that we would have to do some things out of the ordinary to have a chance to win," Fisher said.

Tennessee certainly wasn't ordinary. Then again, neither was Manning.